Cruden Bay lined up for Scottish Open as Trump course looks set to miss out

The course on the outskirts of Aberdeen owned by United States president Donald Trump is set to be overlooked as the venue for the 2019 Scottish Open.

It was reported recently that Trump International Golf Links was in “pole position” to host the £5.4 million event in two years’ time.

However, Martin Gilbert, the chief executive of tournament sponsors Aberdeen Asset Management, said on Friday that Cruden Bay was a more likely destination due to “clear issues” around President Trump.

“We’d love to go back to the Aberdeen area at some stage (Royal Aberdeen hosted the event in 2014) and, if we went back, we’d look at various courses,” Gilbert told reporters during day two of this year’s event at Dundonald Links.

“The (European) Tour have been to see Cruden Bay. The thing is there we’d have to do a composite-type course.

“Trump, I don’t need to tell you, is a great golf course, but there are issues if we went there. The worst thing would be if he came! No decision has been made but look, there are clear issues, shall we say.

“Politics aside, Trump would be an ideal venue, but you can’t put politics aside. That is the issue so we will wait and see.”

Despite well-publicised lewd comments Trump has made about women, the US Women’s Open is taking place at Trump National in Bedminster, New Jersey this week.

United States Golf Association (USGA) executive director Mike Davis said in May the organisation would not “cross the line into politics.”